“Nothing until after lunch. I have them doing theory this morning.” All this comes out like one long grunt.
“Theory? I have never held a theory class, or attended one for that matter.” I am a bit flummoxed by all this, I have to say.
“Then how do you teach them tactics? You just teach them to charge the guns and hope for the best, I suppose.” Glen stops eating and waits for my response.
“Well. We’ve never had an all-out pack versus pack war in our sector. It’s never been a requirement.”
“Just because you haven’t had one doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared for one. We’ve never had any wars, but we’re facing one now. It would be a bit late starting lessons now, wouldn’t you think?” Shaking his head, he gets back to his food. I’ve suddenly lost my appetite. Here was I thinking I’m the greatest thing since sliced bread in the training world, only to be shot down with a single question.
I need to correct that when I get back to Wolfsong. Only I’m not going back. Or am I? Sweet Mother of the Goddess! I don’t know whether I’m coming or going, and does the Goddess even have a mother?
“I’m going into the woods this morning to have a private training session with Sloane. Care to join us? I know Sloane would enjoy your company. She hates morning sessions on her own with me,” Chief Warrior Glen asks.
Cramming the rest of my breakfast down my throat as fast as I can, I mumble that I would love to join them. Swallowing so much in one go, I almost choke, and have to wash it down with one of the bottles of water.
“Don’t kill yourself. I can’t beat Alpha Lyle in single combat, although he usually lets me win by the narrowest margin if there are any spectators. Alone, he is less considerate, and will hand me my ass on a plate.”
Walking from the dining hall, I ask, “Is he that good?”
“He took you down without breaking a sweat or dirtying his nice white shirt. What do you think?” Glen laughs at this, and I bristle. “He is a force to be reckoned with and has the brain to go with it. If you get the chance to observe him fight, watch his eyes. He considers everything. Everything about his opponent, the surroundings, the ground he’s standing on. Everything. He usually has them beaten before contact is made. They just don’t know it.”
“What of Hunter in all this? You haven’t mentioned his wolf. I would think Hunter plays an important role in all this, too.”
“Lyle, Hunter. It’s just a name for the same entity. They are attuned unlike anything I have ever seen before. I have an excellent relationship with Outlaw, my wolf, but even he will tell you, we are not on the same level as Hunter and Alpha Lyle.” There is an admiration in his voice when he speaks of them, and I notice it is ‘them’ and not just his Alpha.
As we walk through the gardens towards the woods, I feel eyes on me and glance cautiously around. Near one of the greenhouses I see someone in the shadows watching. As we reach the woods and their dappled shading, I am able to watch more closely. That’s when I realize that I am not the one being watched. Chief Glen is the focus of their attention. I wonder if he knows that Blossom is more than a little interested in him?
Meeting Sloane in a clearing, it’s clear to see that she has been here awhile and warming up. She doesn’t bat an eye at my presence but tips her head to one side looking at Glen, then spits out, “You’re late, you grumpy asshole.”
“Good morning to you, too,” says Glen as he holds his hand out for her to shake. Just as their hands are about to touch, she snatches hers back and Glen all but falls on his backside. He is lucky to stay upright.
Sloane puts her thumb to her nose and wiggles her fingers. “Too slow, and you’re still a grumpy asshole.” She smiles at me then. “Morning Fenya. How did Mr. Miserable persuade you into his morning torture class?”
Laughing, I state, “He didn’t. I volunteered.”
“Oh dear. We’ll have to cure you of that disease. Volunteering is the sort of thing that gets you in trouble, or worse still, killed. You don’t want to be doing that, my friend.”
She winks at me as I smirk. I’ve never had so many people tell me they are my friend as I have since I left Wolfsong, and I find myself enjoying the feeling.
“So, let me guess. You want to be more proficient at tree climbing. I’ll let Chief Glen do the honors while I sit back and laugh, I mean watch.” Sloane takes herself off to the edge of the clearing and sits with her back against a tree. I throw her mysecond bottle of water that I’d brought with me from the dining hall.
“I’ll choose the tree, then you’ll have ten seconds to study your best route before I shout go. You will have two minutes to get as high as you can, mark the tree, and descend to the clearing floor in a controlled descent. You must be lower than seven feet before you leave the tree. Outside of the time limit and you fail. Too much time remaining and you won’t have reached my expectations of how high you should have reached. Clear?”
“Very clear. Two minutes isn’t very long, though.” I would only just be starting my climb in earnest when I’d have to start my descent.
“Balance on one leg. I don’t care which.” Glen snaps it out in an order like fashion. Without thinking, I lift my right leg. Sloane giggles, but I don’t see anything funny.
Standing in a clearing, balancing on one leg. What the hell! I’m wondering if this is some sort of prank when I realize something. My right leg is the stronger, and I’ve lifted that one. I’m on my weaker leg and I’m starting to notice the fact. I reacted without thinking first.
First mistake. No, wait. Second mistake. First mistake was opening my mouth without thinking, again. I should have kept quiet about the two minutes. Suddenly I feel myself falling, so I put my foot down and then notice how badly my left leg aches.
“That was one minute forty seconds. You didn’t last two minutes. Still think it isn’t very long, or shall we stand on one leg for three minutes? If that’s what you want for climbing the tree.” Glen looks way too smug for me to try for three. This is definitely his domain and I’m a newbie.
I spend the next hour running up and down trees, sometimes alone, sometimes competing against Sloane. No matter how well I think I’m doing, she is always standing in the clearing waiting for me.
“Okay. I’m done. You guys win.” I’m standing doubled over, hands on my knees, gasping for breath.
“We didn’t win anything. You asked for this. I was going to take Sloane for a run through the woods this morning. Perhaps you two want to take the run and I’ll wait here?” Looking at Glen as he says this, I just know that it isn’t a suggestion.
